Thunder approached Tendulkar for BBL?

Sachin Tendulkar was reportedly approached by Big Bash League (BBL) side Sydney Thunder to play in the Australian T20 tournament this year but the deal could not be finalised.

The former India batsmen, considered to be the best since Donald Bradman, retired late last year after an emotional farewell series against West Indies. Tendulkar had also played for Mumbai Indians since the start of the Indian T20 League in 2008 till he called it a day in 2013.

A report in the Sydney Morning Herald said Thunder had approached Tendulkar with an "attractive offer" to turn around their fortune after winning only one out of 19 games over the last 25 months. However, talks fell apart after Harry Harinath resigned as head of Cricket NSW early.

The report also claimed that Cricket NSW had called upon the state government to use its connections in India in order to lure the iconic batsman to don their jersey but nothing materialised.

"Tendulkar was offered a deal to play for the Thunder over four weeks this season," it said.

"When the Cricket NSW board, headed by Harinath, met to address the problems, Tendulkar joined Michael Hussey and Brett Lee on the list after it was acknowledged the franchise needed to attract big stars to engage the 90,000 people with Indian and subcontinent heritage in the area surrounding the Olympic Park precinct," it added.

"Harinath, who stepped down from his posts as chairman of Cricket NSW and as a board member of Cricket Australia (CA) after an overhaul in the organisation's administration structure last January, was understood to have travelled to India to meet with people described as extremely close to Tendulkar," it added.